From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Professor of Medical Biochemistry at the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Lagos State University (LASU), Joseph Abayomi Omoniyi Olagunju, has cautioned the public on the use of herbal medicines, even as he urged the government to enforce law on advertising of herbal medicine to protect members of the public.
Prof. Olagunju took the position while delivering the 92nd Inaugural Lecture of LASU at the Buba Marwa Auditorium of the institution on Tuesday, November 21st.
He said even though herbal medicines have some curative efficacies, such medicines do not come without their attendant negative consequences, hence the need to regulate their use.
He noted that a large chunk of the Nigerian population is suffering from chronic, debilitating illnesses with its attendant escalating healthcare costs, hence, they have resorted to patronizing herbal medicine with the general belief that the use of the herbs would pose no side effects and that this treatment option is cheap and generally accessible.
He added that this assumption is not entirely true atressing, “many have resorted to patronizing herbal medicine with the general belief that the use of these herbs will pose no side effects and that this treatment option is cheap and generally accessible.”
Prof. Olagunju queried government’s inability to monitor activities of the drugs sellers and advertisement of such products saying, “our airwaves is also full of misleading advertisements that herbal remedies are effective in treating all ailments and pose no threat of any side effects and this has remained unchecked.
“Is it because our government lacked the capacity to control and check wrong information being disseminated through various adverts in this country? I do not think so.
“In my opinion, government appears not to enforce the mechanism put in place to control and regulate advertising of herbal products and claims.”
He disclosed that information coming out of research in natural products indicated high level of toxicity of these products, and therefore called on the government to immediately put the necessary mechanism in place to check the abuse of herbal products.
“With a lot of information coming out of research in natural products (medicinal plants inclusive) indicating high level of toxicity of these products, government should immediately put the necessary mechanism in place to check this abuse and ensure that only herbal products whose efficacy and safety have been scientifically proved are advertised on our airwaves.
“This is the only way the health of the community could be safe guarded,” he maintained.
